In this photo made on Dec. 16, 2006, tall grass blows in the wind at the Barrier Dunes Sanctuary by Lake Michigan in White River Township, Mich. / Associated Press

Written by

Associated Press

WHITE RIVER TOWNSHIP, MICH. — A western Michigan lawmaker says the state Department of Environmental Quality has rejected a proposal to build a 1,200-foot private driveway across a strip of government-owned Lake Michigan dune habitat.

Bro G Land Co. has applied for a state Department of Environmental Quality permit to build a 2,800-square-foot home on 2.2 acres of dune property near Barrier Dune Sanctuary. The site is in Muskegon County’s White River Township.

Republican state Sen. Goeff Hansen of Hart tells MLive.com the state agency told him Friday it has rejected the request.

Bill Gezon is a member of the family that has owned the land for decades. He has declined immediate comment.

About 200 people attended a public hearing on the proposal April 15 at Montague High School, with most speakers opposing it.